Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Center for Autoimmune Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
Address for correspondence: Westley H. Reeves, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Florida, P. O. Box 100221, Gainesville, FL 32610-0221. Voice: 352-392-8600; fax: 352-846-1858. whreeves{at}ufl.edu
Screening for disease-specific autoantibodies may be useful
in asymptomatic ANA-positive individuals as a means of evaluating
the risk of developing a systemic autoimmune disease such as
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), polymyositis/dermatomyositis
(PM/DM), scleroderma (SSc), Sjögren's syndrome (SS), rheumatoid
arthritis (RA), or primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in the future.
In patients with known or suspected systemic autoimmune disease,
a panel of disease-specific markers may help to establish a
diagnosis and to assess the prognosis. The great strides in
autoantibody testing over the last 20 years make it feasible
to use specific autoantibody markers to improve diagnostic accuracy
in systemic autoimmune disease. New technology enabling screening
for multiple autoantibodies may further enhance the clinical
usefulness of autoantibody testing, making it possible to diagnose
autoimmune disease in its earliest stages and to intervene before
serious end organ damage occurs.
